Ronaldo De Lima (Style of Play And Photo)

Name:

 

Luis Nazario de Lima Ronaldo

Current Team:

 

Positions:

 

• Forward

Age:

 

36 years old (22-09-1976)

Height:

 

183cm

Nationality:

 

Brazil

Ronaldo grew up in Rio Janeiro
Started football as a junior for Social Ramos Club at 12yrs and two years later he joined São Cristóvão in the Carioca League. By 1992 he was already playing in  Brazilian championship side, Cruzeiro. He was a member of Brazil’s under-17 South American team in 1991 before joining his national side in 1994.

He was transferred in 1994 from Cruzeiro to PSV Eindhoven of the Netherlands, where he went and scored 55 goals in 56 games and won the 1995 league championship and  1996 Dutch Cup. 

After moving to FC Barcelona of Spain for 1996–97 season, he scored 34 goals in 37 appearances and helped barcelona  capture the Spanish Super Cup. 

Because of his success, Ronaldo was paid $27 million by Inter Milan to play for them in 1997, a record at that time. 

At Inter his excellent dribbling skills and knack for scoring many goals earned him the nickname “Il Fenomeno.” By 1997 Ronaldo became the first player to win FIFA’s Player of the Year award two years in a row. In 1999, he however,suffered a serious knee injury that left him out of play for almost two years.

He returned to competitive play in 2001.

 At the 2002 World Cup he scored 8 goals to earn the Golden Shoe award as the tournament’s top scorer and helped Brazil win its fifth World Cup championship. 

He then left Inter for Real Madrid(Spain) after they agreed to pay a transfer fee of about $46.3 million. In 2002 Ronaldo was named both FIFA Player of the Year and European Footballer of the Year (an award he  had also received in 1997). At the 2006 World Cup he scored 3 goals to bring his career total at the tournament to a record-setting 15.

While playing for  AC Milan in 2008, Ronaldo ruptured a tendon in his left knee—the same type of injury that had occurred in his right knee in 1999. 

In December 2008,Ronaldo signed with the Corinthians in São Paulo. He however continued to be plagued by a number of  less significant, leg injuries during his time with Corinthians, as well as a thyroid condition that made him gain weight, and then abruptly retired from football in February 2011.